Lightning-arrester.



S. R. BUCHANAN.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLICANON min AP|1.22. 191B.

Suucnfoz j TZ. Eatareae and durable support.

SUTTON B. BUCHANAN, NEW BBEMEN, 0HIO.

LIenTNINe-Aaansrnn.

Speoicatlon o1' Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

Application and nprn 22, isis. serial N,2ao,o91.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, SUTroN BUCHANAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Bremen, in the county of Auglaize and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Arresters, of which the followin is a specification, reference being had to t e accompanying[` drawings.

his invention relates to an improved lightning arrester, and has for its primary object to provide a lighting arrester4 which is particularly designed for useas a rotection Yfor low potential telephone linesl against the destructive effects of lightning o'r other high potential currents. It ism. more particular object of the invention. to provide a lightning' arrester of the character stated designed :lorv use in edon- 'nection with the individual current conducting It is also an important object of the in- .vention to rovide a device for the above purpose :which will alford a satisfactory insulator for the line wire as well as a rigid It is an` ad itional object to provide a lightning arrester of such construction that .the lightning or other. dangerous high potentia -current is diverted from the line wire to the ground,J while at the same time that line wire .is completely insulatedl from the rgroun i 1 l The invention also has for a further obiject to provide-a construction wherein'the i gap between the high and low potential current conductin elements is always uniform, (and wherein. t ese elements are also completely housed and protected against the de-` terioratiiigJeii'ects' of the elements and from the collection of foreign matter thereon which would Seriously' interfere with the 'proper ,operation of the device. I

And itis a further general object ,of my invention to provide a. li htning arrester for telephone lines', wliic is relatively simple inits construction, canl be manufactured at very small,v cost, and is. readily adaptable tothe standardl type of insulatn ost now in general use. v

1th the above and other objects in view,

.he invention consists in the improved con- '.truction, combination and relative arrangement of the several arts iis will be hereinafter more fully ascribed, subsequently claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawin y in which similar reference characters esignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is aside elevation illustrating one embodiment of my improved lightning arrester; p

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectiop taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; 1

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fastening bolt for the insulator post; an

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a slightly modified construction, the insulator being removed.

Referring in detail `tothe drawing, 5 designates an insulator which maybe formed of porcelain or other suitable material and is'preferably of cylindrical shape, said in-` sulator gradually tapering or decreasing in diameter from one end to the other thereof. This insulator is formed exteriorly with' spaced annular grooves 6 to receive the wires carrying a low potential current. The insulator body is also lon tudinally bored and threaded as at 7, sai bore having an Unthreaded outwardly. flaring portion 8 at the larger end of the insulator. At theinner end of the bore 7 the insulator is formed with a chamber 9, and diametrically opposed radially extend'ingopenin nect this chamber with one of t e annular grooves 6 in the periphery of the insulator."

The supporting post or pin 11 for `the insulator body 5 is of the usual form, sa1d 'post tapering lon itudinally and having a.

coarse peripheral t read 12 on one end thereof, for engagement with the threaded bore 7 of the insulatorbody. The Wall of the insulator body, at the outwardly flaring end `of the borev 7 ,constitutes an annular 13 Vsurrounding the supporting post o r pin 11 finspaced'relation t creto. Theskirtl insures a dryinsulating'surface in wet or stormyweather.` i

l' The post or pin llis also longitudinal] bored as au 14 to 'receive the attaching bo t` or rod 15, which is of -such length that said rod may be readily mounted upon the usual| 10 consupporting arm and the post 11 securely clamped 1n place by 'means of the nut 16 threaded on the end of said bolt.

The post ll'is rovided at its smaller end and in the end ace thereof with a rectanlar'seat having the beveled or inclined aces 17. The attaching bolt 15 at its upper end is also provided with a rectangular ortion having outwardly inclined lateral aces 18 for engagement on the seatin faces 17 To this rectangular end of the bo t, a circular disk or plate 19, preferably of brass, is suitabl secured.

In t e channel or groove 6 with which the transverse openings communicate, the metal strips 20 are arranged, said strips curved to t snugly against the wall of said Vso groove. Each of these strips is centrally provided with an opening to receive a screw 21. These screws at thelr inner ends have threaded engagement in the opposite sides of a circular brass plate or disk 22 which is disposed within the chamber 9 of the insulator body. Between the ,lower face of this disk and the opposed face of the late or disk 19 on the end of the bolt 15, a circular sheet of mica or other suitable dielectric material 23 is interposed, said mica disk havin a plurality of openings 24 therein .tp f acllitate the passage of a high potential body and in contact with the metal strips 20 so that an electrical connection is made from. the line wire through the ,stri s 20, the screws 21 and the metal disk 22. wire connected to the attaching bolt 15 leads to the ground. There is thus established a complete circuit for a high potential current which may be impressed upon the telephone lline wire, the `said current easily ridging the gap between the metal disks 22 and 19 formed b the mica disk 23 so that this current vwili'be diverted from the line wire,and `conducted to the ground. Normally, it will be understood that the telephone line wire is completely insulated from the round connection by the mica spacing dis 23.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification of the device which ren vders my invention adaptable tothe standard form of insulator supporting post or pin without necessitating'alterations of any character whatever therein. In this modi- `fication, I provide a sleeve`or j'aeket. gener- In condescribed is used. It will be apparent, of

course, thatin the 'modified construction, .the devlce will operate in practice (precisely in the same manner'as in the first escribed u vembodiment of my invention. being both transversely and longitudinally I From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my improved lightning arrester will be fully understood. By the provision of an arresting devicev for lightning or other high potential currents for the individual wires, telephone systems may be adequately protected. As the several parts of the invention are of exceedingly simple form, the device maybe installed in telephoneline systems at only slightly greater expense than is incident to the equipment of the lines with the ordinary standard typev of insulators. My invention provides means which a'ords va very rigid and substantial support for the line wire'as well as means whereby the Wire iS conv' pletely insulated from 4the ground, while at the same time the high potential currents are diverted from the line wire. It is likewise to be noted that by'mounting the conducting `plate 22 within the insulator `in the manner described, the gap between this plate and the head plate 19 on the attaching bolt will likewise be uniform throughout the surface area of said plates. The gap or Space separating the element 22 from the Vhead plate y19 is as small as possible without bein 1n actual contact so that the high potentia currents'will readily bridge onjum'p this gap. These plates being arranged. within the chamber 9 of the insulator body and the openingsv 10 being securely closedvby the metal strips 9.0, said plates are completely housed and protected from the elements or the entrance of insects or other foreign matter between said plates,.wl iich would be likely to interfere with the pro r workin of the telephone'lines and t e the high potential currents.

ischarge o I have herein shown and described 4whaty I have found to .be a very satisfactoryoonstruction and arrangement of the several4 elements, but it is. to be understoodithat in practice the exigencies of the particular case may require certain structural changes in the varlous parts. As these parts are obviously susceptible of many minor m0difi- 1,ass,es1

cations, it is therefore to be understood that I reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim 1. In combination, a relatively fixed current conducting member adapted to be connected to the ground, an insulator body mounted upon said current conducting member and having a chamber therein, a current conducting element disposed within said chamber in opposed relation to the lixed conductor, said insulator body having exterior means for the connection of a line wire thereto, and means mounted in the insulator body for establishing an electrical connection between the line Wire and said current conducting element, said means also sustaining the element in spaced relation to the fixed conductor.

2. In combination, a relatively fixed current conducting member adapted to be connected to the ground, an insulator body having a bore to receive said member and provided with a chamber at the inner end of saidbore, a current conducting element in said chamber in opposed relation to said fixed member, a sheet of dielectric material interposed between said current conducting element and the fixed member. said insulator body having exterior means for the connection of' a line Wire thereto, and means for closing the circuit between said line Wire and said current conducting element.

3. In combination, a relatively fixed currentl conducting member adapted to be connected to the ground, an insulator body having a bore to receive said member and provided with a chamber at the inner end of said bore, a current conducting element in said chamber in opposed relation to said fixed member, said insulator body having exterior means for the connection of a line wire thereto, and radially disposed circuit closing members mounted in the insulator body for engagement by the line Wire, said members being connected to the current conducting element to position said element in uniform spaced relation to the fixed member.

4. In combination, a relatively fixed current conducting member adapted to be connected to the ground, an insulator body having a bore to receive said member and provided with a chamber at the inner end of said bore, a current conducting clement in said chamber in opposed relation to said fixed member, said insulator body having exterior means for the connection of a line wire thereto, radially disposed circuit closing members mounted in the insulator body for engagement by the line wire, said members being connected to the current conducting element t0 position said element in uniform spaced relation to the fixed member, and a perforated sheet of' dielectric material interposed between said circuit closing element and the fixed member.

5. In combination, a relatively fixe-d current conducting member adapted to be connected to the ground, an insulator body bored to receive said member, said body having an exterior line wire receiving groove, metal strips snugly fitting the wall of said groove for engagement by the line wire, a current conducting element arranged in the bore of the insulator body, circuit closing means connecting said element to said metal strips, and supporting said element in oppose relation to the fixed current conductlng member, and a sheet of dielectric material interposed between the 'fixed member and said element. y

6, In combination, a relatively fixed current conducting member adapted to be connected to the ground, an insulator body bored to receive said member, said body having an exterior line wire receivln groove and transverse openings connecting said groove with the bore, metal strips arranged in said groove and engaged by the line wire, a circuit closing element, screws connecting said metal strips to said element and supporting the element*l in opposed relation to said fixed member, and a perforated sheet of dielectric material interposed between the fixed member and said element.

7. In combination, an insulator post and an attaching bolt extending therethrough having a head on one end, an insulator body adapted to be detachably threadedupon the post and Vhaving an annular skirt dlsposed in spaced relation to the .threads on the post, the insulator body havlng exterior means for fastening the line Wire thereto, and means carried by the insulator for grounding a circuit from the line wire including a current conducting element, and a sheet of dielectric material spacing said element from the head on the attaching bolt.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SUTTON R. BUCHANAN. Witnesses:

Grro F. SCHNEIDER, C. A. SCHRAGE. 

